Neither the General's instructions nor Pablo's reluctance, however deter Jordan from his commitment to the Loyalist cause. Thus, with the aid of Pablo's courageous woman, Pilar, and his trusted guide, Anselmo, Jordan stays focused on the objective of blowing up the bridge. Indeed, Hemingway casts Jordan in the role of the archetypical war hero who is bent on accomplishing his task in spite of severe doubts over the viability of the mission and the sincerity of the Communist (Loyalist) leaders: "This was the greatest gift he had, the talent that fitted him for war; the ability not to ignore but to despise whatever bad ending there could be." (p. 393). Robert Jordan, therefore, is the antithesis of men like General Golz and Pablo, thereby allowing Hemmingway to highlight the difference between idealism and cynicism; selflessness and selfishness.
Besides confronting his own moral dilemmas, Jordan's mission is made more dangerous by virtue of the Loyalists' plans being leaked to the Fascists. Even Nature does not co-operate and a heavy snow storm results in the Fascist soldiers being able to easily track the foot steps of El Sordo and his men, and kill them. Thus, Jordan loses the only real support he thought he had when El Sordo, a more valiant and loyal to the cause guerilla leader, agrees to help the mission. To add to his cup of woes, Pablo and most of his men are not exactly reliable soldiers: "Was there ever a people whose leaders were as truly...
163)
Jordan's sense that his mission is really a doomed one makes his relationship with Maria more intense and poignant, as evidenced by the urgency that comes through in almost all the lovemaking scenes. In fact, it is obvious that Jordan is seeking to reaffirm life as well as assuage his loneliness through making love to Maria: "In the night he awoke and held her tight as though she were all of life and it was being taken away from him." (p. 264)
Finally, Jordan makes a last minute, futile attempt to request General Golz to call off what now seems to him to be a foolhardy mission. However, the morning of the planned attack dawns with no word from the General, forcing Jordan to carry out the mission. Ironically, he succeeds in blowing up the bridge only to lose his own life, just as he is riding away. The mission also results in the deaths of Anselmo, Fernando and several other men. Through these deaths, Hemmingway effectively raises the issue of the dehumanizing effects of war. for, after all, the deaths occurred purely due to a foolhardy mission that the men should never have embarked on.
For Whom the Bell Tolls may be a war novel. However, what makes the novel a classic is the fact that it manages to drive home the futility of war through showcasing its dehumanizing effects.
Works Cited
Hemmingway, E. "For Whom the Bell Tolls." New York: Macmillan Publishing Company,
